After two months on the job, Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams satirized by 'The Onion'
Jessica Boehm
Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams — just two months into the job — was featured in the popular satire news outlet, The Onion, Tuesday.
In the fabricated "article," Williams apologizes for naming 1941 Berlin, Germany, a sister city of Phoenix.
“Berlin during the, shall we say, post-Weimar era certainly had some commendable qualities, but I now realize that the city’s involvement in attempting to conquer the world and exterminate the Jewish people during that time should have given the Phoenix mayoral council some pause,” Williams said in the made-up story.
The story also took a swing at Phoenix residents, noting that many of them were in favor of the sister-city selection, "though early reports seem to indicate they are satisfied by the substitution of 1936 Moscow."
A mention in The Onion is either a 21st-century honor or a dis, depending on your perspective — and sense of humor.
Williams (the real one) was not aware of her spotlight in The Onion (and did not know what The Onion was) until contacted by The Arizona Republic.
"I beg your pardon?" Williams said when told what the piece was about.
Williams was confused by the piece, but played along.
"I don't know if it's an honor but it's interesting," Williams said.
It's unclear why The Onion selected Williams for this piece. The publication did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Phoenix does have 10 sister cities, but none of them are, present or past, in Germany.
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